Spanish court rejects issuing EU arrest warrant for Puigdemont

Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday rejected the state prosecutor’s request to reactivate a European arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont — the exiled former Catalan president and now the sole candidate nominated to become the region’s new leader.

The court said in a statement it would postpone the decision until the Catalan parliament has been fully restored to normal activity, Reuters reported. This will likely be after regional lawmakers elect a new leader by the end of the month.

The Catalan parliament’s new speaker, Roger Torrent, said Monday that Puigdemont is the only candidate nominated to become regional president.

The court decision also came on the same day that Puigdemont arrived in Denmark to give a speech at the University of Copenhagen — his first trip outside Belgium after he fled to Brussels in October to avoid arrest on charges including sedition and rebellion for his role in Catalonia’s independence push.

Puigdemont’s lawyer had warned before the court decision that his risk of arrest in Denmark was “extremely high.”

A previous European arrest warrant issued by Spain was withdrawn in December, before a Belgian court decided whether or not to extradite Puigdemont and four of his former Cabinet members.

Catalan newspaper Ara had cited Spanish court sources as saying the Spanish prosecutor believed Denmark would be more inclined than Belgium to grant the extradition request.

The former Catalan president has suggested he could rule remotely from Brussels, an option Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has dismissed.

In Copenhagen, Puigdemont said the “shadows” of former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco were still visible in today’s Spain, adding he hoped “that one day not far from today, the will of our [Catalan] people will prevail,” and reiterating his desire for the region to become independent.

Sir Francis Canker

No comments? This is the proof that the shiny star on Puigdemont’s ass is finally dimming.. Noone cares about this clown and his “Catalan circus” anymore. Good for Europe.

Posted on 1/22/18 | 8:14 PM CET

DanCzech

Next populist to be invited by the University of Copenhagen is Vlaams Belang, followed by Nigel Farage.

Posted on 1/22/18 | 8:49 PM CET

Joan Borrell

@Sir Francis Canker & DanCzech
Spot on.

Posted on 1/22/18 | 9:10 PM CET

Peter

Is he in Denmark to master danish bacon techniques to better deal with the pig Rajoy upon his return?

Posted on 1/22/18 | 9:34 PM CET

kirfgout

he simply doesn’t wish to be assanged.

Posted on 1/22/18 | 10:01 PM CET

edel

One correction to the article; the fear by the Spanish court was not that the Belgium court would not extradite him, but rather that will demand not to trial Puigdemont in the most serious charge; rebellion since the Belgium justice does not have that clause so Spain could only trial him for lesser charges.

I presume the real reason of not issuing the arrest order for Denmark was its too short notice for the Constitutional court to consult with experts of Danish law before. I am very sure the Puigdemont lawyer did his homework before letting its client go.

The European Court of Human Rights is always there though if anyone consider any ruling unjust. What we have now is a system where individuals like Pinochet get away from the EU with the help of UK, or Puigdemont enjoys walks in Belgium while colleagues are in preventive arrest awaiting trial. Gosh, even a few years back there were active ETA members that got refuge also in Belgium. We should not allow people that allegedly commit a crime in a country to be able shop around for the best justice for then among 28 borderless countries.

Posted on 1/22/18 | 10:16 PM CET

grocginesta

Go Puigemont.

2,0 M voters out of 4,0M are for you.

(part of the voters who aren’t, they really do spend their time with porn-news talking of rapes, crimes and wiping victims of the crimes, they support spanish teams, and they like toros, meanwhile, pp plunders spanish pensioner savings)

In this communication the judge clearly describe the reason why he did not issue the arrest order to the Danish government. It is not because the Spanish Court had no time to study the process but because the judge does not want to arrest Mr. Puigdemont. The surprise is the rationale used by the judge to decide not arresting him: he speculates that Mr. Puigdemont moved to Denmark because he wants to be arrested and therefore, to be able to delegate his vote under the status of being private of his freedom (vote delegation has been allowed for those that are currently in prison in Spain). The rationale used by the judge and the fact that the main reason for not issuing the arrest order is to avoid him to delegate his vote is generating controversy, since it seems more a political decision (try to avoid a majority of votes in the Catalan parliament to vote for the president) than a legal one (prosecute him for the charges he is accused before activating the article 155). In fact, if Mr. Puigdemont really wants to be arrested, why he does not just go to Spain?
This is does not give an image that political and judicial powers in Spain are independent…

Posted on 1/23/18 | 12:54 AM CET

edel

@Peter, I am not criticizing free movement, the other way around. But when between countries there is such deep cooperation, court systems should respect each other and that is not the case in Europe. There are some aspects of the French judicial system I don’t like and even some of Swedish system I find it misleading, but if if they demand an extradition for an alleged criminal that ran away to Greece, it should be normal he gets extradited without double oversight. That person can always go to the highest European human rights court if he finds the dictamen unjust.. or even the EU could review the judicial process of countries to check has a minimal of adhesion to European democratic and independence standards.

Here in the US, there is a tremendous difference of laws among states but for serious crimes there is extradition and if a state denies it, the federal government can interfere to make it possible. In a case like Puiddemont’s, disobeying the highest court and dividing the country here would be considered rebellion (I, however, only see sedition and, maybe, attempt of rebellion under the Spanish code).

Posted on 1/23/18 | 1:08 AM CET

Jose Miguel Rodriguez Espinosa

You failed to report that there was a number of questions that Puigdemont did not answered during his talk in Denmark. In particular there was the questions if only votes were sufficient but not abiding the law, or what would Mr. Puigdemont do for the over 50% of catalans that do not want independence….

Posted on 1/23/18 | 9:27 AM CET

George Hannover

Can you tell us how many quetions have not been answered by PM M. Rajoy?
Ten for example?